scholarly journals Preservation and identification of ancient M. tuberculosis complex DNA in Egyptian mummies

1970 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert R. Zink ◽  
Stephanie Köhler ◽  
Nasim Motamedi ◽  
Udo Reischl ◽  
Hans Wolf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Evolution ◽  
Strain Differences ◽  
New Kingdom ◽  
Late Period ◽  
Middle Kingdom ◽  
Tuberculosis Complex ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Early Dynastic ◽  
Time Periods

For years we have investigated the presence and molecular evolution of tuberculosis in Pre Dynastic and Early Dynastic Egyptian mummy material from Abydos (c. 3500-2800 BC), Middle and New Kingdom until the Late Period in Thebes-West (c. 2050 – 500 BC). We have analysed 160 bone and soft tissue samples from different time periods and populations for the occurrence of M. tuberculosis complex DNA. All positive specimens were genetically characterised by spoligotyping and mutation analysis. Molecular analyses revealed excellent state of preservation of the specimens. Research showed a high incidence of M. tuberculosis during all time periods. We further detected specific MTB strain differences with M. africanum in some of the Middle Kingdom samples and “modern” M. tuberculosis strains in the New Kingdom to Late Period material. These results demonstrate that aDNA is excellently preserved in ancient Egyptian mummies allowing the reconstruction of occurrence, frequency, molecular evolution and spread of tuberculosis in Pharaonic populations.

National administration

2020 ◽  
pp. 761-777
Author(s):  
Wolfram Grajetzki
Keyword(s):  
Main Concern ◽  
New Kingdom ◽  
Late Period ◽  
Administrative Structure ◽  
Old Kingdom ◽  
Royal Court ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Early Dynastic ◽  
Appointed Officials ◽  
Egyptian History

This chapter explores the notion of a ‘national administration’ in Egypt, from the Early Dynastic Period to the Late Period, by discussing a range of textual sources and other written forms known in tombs and temples. These studies suggest that from the beginning of writing in Egypt around 3000 bc, some form of administrative structure is visible. The supply of food and other resources for the royal palace seems to have been the main concern of the administration in most periods of ancient Egyptian history. In the Fourth Dynasty the vizier became the head of the administration. He controlled legal matters, the scribal offices and was, in the Old Kingdom, also often in charge of the pyramid building. In the New Kingdom the office was divided into two, one vizier had an office in Memphis and other one in Thebes. Other important offices at the royal court were officials in charge of the treasury, those with the granaries and officials in charge of royal domains. The Old Kingdom administration seems to be a rather loose system where the king appointed officials when needed. The Middle and New Kingdom administration shows more fixed structures.

Nubians in Egypt from the Early Dynastic Period to the New Kingdom

2021 ◽  
pp. 288-308
Author(s):  
Georg K. Meurer
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Population ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
New Kingdom ◽  
Middle Kingdom ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Upper Egypt ◽  
Intermediate Period ◽  
Early Dynastic

Nubians lived in Egypt from Predynastic times and through all periods. In the Aswan region, they were part of the indigenous population from Old to Middle Kingdom (A-Group, C-Group). From late Middle Kingdom through Second Intermediate Period, representatives of the Pan-Grave culture, presumably to be identified with the Medjay, and later the Kerma culture was present in Upper Egypt (Theban area) progressively up to the Delta at Tell el-Dab’a until the 18th Dynasty. Despite the official Egyptian dogma that regarded foreigners as elements of chaos, the reality shows that Nubians were integrated in the Egyptian society when accepting the Egyptian way of life. This is also visible in the wider range of occupations performed by native Nubians. While from time to time foreign groups also left the Egyptian Nile Valley, this Egyptianization or cultural entanglement resulted in a disappearing of foreigners in the sources.

scholarly journals Molecular study on human tuberculosis in three geographically distinct and time delineated populations from ancient Egypt

2003 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. ZINK ◽  
W. GRABNER ◽  
U. REISCHL ◽  
H. WOLF ◽  
A. G. NERLICH
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Study ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Middle Kingdom ◽  
Tuberculous Spondylitis ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Intermediate Period ◽  
Early Dynastic ◽  
Systemic Spread ◽  
Different Populations

We describe the molecular identification of human tuberculosis (TB) from vertebral bone tissue samples from three different populations of ancient Egypt. The specimens were obtained from the predynastic to early dynastic necropolis of Abydos (7 individuals, c. 3500–2650 B.C.), from a Middle Kingdom to Second Intermediate Period tomb of the necropolis of Thebes-West (37, c. 2100–1550 B.C.) and from five further Theban tombs used in the New Kingdom and the Late Period (39, c. 1450–500 B.C.). A total of 18 cases tested positive for the presence of ancient DNA (aDNA) of the M. tuberculosis complex. Out of the 9 cases with typical macromorphological signs of tuberculous spondylitis, 6 were positive for mycobacterial aDNA (66·7%). Of 24 cases with non-specific pathological alterations, 5 provided a positive result (20·8%). In 50 cases of normally appearing vertebral bones 7 tested positive (14·0%). There were only minor differences in the frequencies between the three populations. These data strongly support the notion that tuberculosis was present and prevalent in ancient Egypt since very early periods of this civilization. The unexpectedly high rate of mycobacterial aDNA in normal bone samples is presumably due to a pre- to perimortal systemic spread of the bacteria and indicates a generalized infection by M. tuberculosis.

scholarly journals THE HISTORICAL AND LEGAL STUDY OF SEARCHING OF THE PROTOTYPES OF THE PROSECUTOR’S INSTITUTE IN THE JUSTICE OF ANCIENT EGYPT

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (9) ◽  
pp. 18-23
Author(s):  
Yevhenii Martynjuk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Late Period ◽  
Independent State ◽  
Legal Study ◽  
Legal Proceedings ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Early Dynastic ◽  
The Future ◽  
Administrative Courts ◽  
Procedural Guidance

The institutional organizations of the system of pre-trial investigation and judicial, and procedures for investigation and legal proceedings in the Ancient Egypt during the existence of the independent state is analyzed in the article. Based on the peculiarities of the organization of the justice’s mechanism, there are two main stages. The first stage covers time from the Early Dynastic Period (n. 3050 BC) till the Late Period (332 BC). Separately the justice of the Ptolemaic period (332–30 BC) has been analyzed which differs from privies periods essentially across combining conventional ancient egyptional features with Hellenic traditions. Within the framework of this analysis, an attempt was made to determinate the list of bodies and officials who in the Ancient Egypt’s justice were the prototypes of the future creation of the prosecutor’s institute. This separation of Ancient Egyptian officials is based on the comparison their institutional and functional matter with the modern prosecutor’s positions and powers, such as: overseeing the bodies of pre-trial investigation in the form of procedural guidance and supporting of public accusation at the trial, representation of the state’s interests at civil, commercial and administrative courts, as well.

Early Evidence for the Egyptian God Kheprer

2021 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-34
Author(s):  
Marie Peterková Hlouchová
Keyword(s):  
Old Kingdom ◽  
Personal Names ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Early Evidence ◽  
Early Dynastic ◽  
Pyramid Texts

Analysing early pieces of evidence for a phenomenon has always been a problematic task and it can be more difficult when dealing with a religious topic. Anachronistic approaches have often been projected in this kind of research, which brings inaccurate interpretations and findings. This paper concentrates on early testimonies for the ancient Egyptian god Kheprer, the deity of the morning sun and autogenesis. It discusses some previously suggested Predynastic, Early Dynastic, and Old Kingdom sources (such as finds of beetles in vessels, the so-called Libyan Palette, Giza writing board, figures of beetles, personal names and titles, Pyramid Texts) that can refer to the existence and belief in this deity. This study focuses mainly on the problematic issues in the interpretations of those finds, demonstrating thus that the only secure evidence for Kheprer comes from the Pyramid Texts.

scholarly journals Las estacas de madera de Haraga y la pesca en el-Fayum durante el Reino Medio

2020 ◽  
pp. 331-367
Author(s):  
María Teresa Soria-Trastoy ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Archaeological Record ◽  
New Kingdom ◽  
Middle Kingdom ◽  
Doctoral Thesis ◽  
Fishing Gears ◽  
Catching Methods

In 1923, Reginald Engelbach published the report of the works carried out from 1913 to 1914 in the excavation of the tombs of Haraga. In one of the structures of C Cemetery, Engelbach found a set of objects that he called fisherman’s equipment, comprising the remains of fishing nets, floats, net weights and wooden stakes. In this article, which is a summary of one of the chapters of the author’s doctoral thesis, she analyses the fishing instruments from Haraga and exposes the methods of capture in which stakes are used. The text is concluded with a proposal of the fishing gears and catching methods that could have been used in el-Fayum from the Middle Kingdom to the New Kingdom by means of a diachronic perspective and the ichthyological species possibly caught. In order to accomplish this goal, the author uses the archaeological record and other sources such as iconographic, documentary and ethnographic ones

Uses of Numbers and Their Contexts in Predynastic and Early Dynastic Times

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Imhausen
Keyword(s):  
Daily Life ◽  
Number System ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Early Evidence ◽  
Early Dynastic

This chapter reviews evidence on the use of the ancient Egyptian number system. There have been only three types of signs used in writing a number: a vertical stroke, a horizontal stroke, and a rope. Of these, the vertical stroke and the rope have successors in the later evidence of Egyptian number notations in the writing of units and hundreds, respectively. Early evidence for the use of number notation originates mostly from funerary or temple contexts. The usage of numbers in a funerary context can be described as administrative and may serve as a mirror for the usage of numbers in daily life at this time. Apart from the administration of goods, in which numbers and quantities have an inherent place, numbers also obtain a secondary, ritual meaning, which is shown by objects like the Narmer macehead and Narmer palette, but also by the offering lists. The writing of numbers is used to indicate the presence of something and to specify its quantities.

Libraries from Late Period and Graeco-Roman Egypt, c.800 BCE–250 CE

2019 ◽  
pp. 390-472
Author(s):  
Ryholt Kim
Keyword(s):  
Waste Paper ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Last Millennium ◽  
Late Period ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Roman Egypt ◽  
Egyptian Culture ◽  
Rubbish Dumps ◽  
House Of Life

This chapter is a survey of collections of literary texts from Late Period and Graeco-Roman Egypt, c.750 BCE–250 CE, effectively the last millennium of the ancient Egyptian culture. Examples of different forms of collections are described and discussed in detail: temple libraries and private libraries, as well as groups of literary texts found in tombs, in rubbish dumps, in waste paper collections, and re-used in cartonnage. The texts include narratives, wisdom instructions, science (esp. divination and medicine), and cultic texts (esp. ritual guidelines, religious treatises, and hymns). Additional paragraphs concern the use of master copies, different types of storage, the abduction of libraries, and the so-called House of Life.

Ramose, An Overseer of the Chamberlains at Memphis

1994 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 202-208
Author(s):  
Khaled Daoud
Keyword(s):  
New Kingdom ◽  
Late Period

Publication of a Ramesside block of the chamberlain of the Lord of the Two Lands, Ramose. The communication casts some light on the title imy-ḫnt, which is rarely found in the Memphite area, and also offers a preliminary list of the bearers of the name ‘Ramose’ at Memphis during the New Kingdom and the Late Period.

The Social Network(s) of the Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period Treasurers: Rehuerdjersen, Siese, Ikhernefret and Senebsumai

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-287
Author(s):  
Danijela Stefanović
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Social Setting ◽  
Middle Kingdom ◽  
Intermediate Period ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Social Settings ◽  
Or Groups ◽  
The Social

Abstract Studies on the ancient Egyptian administrative system(s) are usually based on analysis of the institutions and officials attached to them. The present paper focuses on the social settings of the four Middle Kingdom / Second Intermediate Period highest ranking officials, i.e., treasurers. Starting with the traditional methodological approach, which focuses on collecting the prosopographic data, this paper further addresses the implementation of Social Network Analysis (SNA) tools for analyzing the obtained material. SNA is used to study people, or groups of people (nodes), linked together through social interaction, and relations or links between them (edges). SNA exemplifies various types of interaction through networks and analyzes them. By applying SNA methodology for studying the networks of the selected treasurers, it is possible to reconstruct more precisely their social setting (both private and institutional) and interrelations, which complement the traditional approach, but also provide new possibilities for research into ancient Egyptian administration.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document